Government asked to approve more money to ‘stabilize’ Phoenix pay system
OTTAWA — MPs are being asked to approve more spending for “stabilization” of the government’s problem-plagued electronic pay system, including a $14 million loan to the unions representing civil servants.
At the same time, government employees are being warned not to overload government computers with requests for the T4 slips they’ll need to file their 2017 tax returns.
Spending estimates tabled earlier this week in the House of Commons tally the additional expenses related to the Phoenix system at about $186 million, most of which is earmarked for hiring new pay advisers.
However, only about $76.3 million of that is new spending, say officials with Public Services and Procurement Canada, which oversees the pay system.